Combination-lock for automobiles.



R. E. COYNER.

COMBINATION LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED NOVI 30, I9I4.

191372742... Patented May 4, 1915.

A rroR/vfyl ROYE. ooYNnn., or BURR. OAK, KANSAS.

COMBINATION-LOOK Fon AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led November 30, 1914.- Seiial No. 874,714.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that 1, ROY E. COYNER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Burr Oak, in the county of Jewell and tate ofv Kansas, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in Combination-Locks for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automobile locks, and my object is to provide a combination lockl which can be readily applied to the steering column of an automobile for the purpose of locking the steering rod from rotation, so that an automobile can be safely left upon the street when locked with the front wheels set at an angle, with out danger of being stolen during the absenceof the owner.

\ In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will lnow be. made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1`is a broken side elevation showing the steering rod and the column with my combination lock applied' tothe latter.y Fig. 2 is a section, enlarged,`on line II-II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an irregular section on line III-III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation lof a bolty constituting part of theinvention.

- Fig. 5 is an elevation of a push-button forming part of the invention. F ig. 6 is a plan View of the lock case cap. Fig. 7 is a section on line VII of Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of certain parts of the lock.

A designates the rotatable steering rod, B the steering Wheel fixed to the upper end of the rod- A, and C the stationary sleeve or column inclosing the steering rod A. The foregoing parts are of ordinary construction.

In carrying out my combination lock constituting the important feature of the present invention, I employ an annular case 1, which may be readily slipped upon the column C after removing the steering wheel B. Case`1 is firmly secured to the column C by i any suitable means, such for instance, as

3 designates a pair of tubular extensions projecting radially from opposite sides of the case 1, to house a pair of -bolts 4, the

` outer ends of which project from said tubular extensions, while their inner ends are adapted to enter openings 5 and 6 formed in opposite sidesof the steering rod A and the Patented May4, 1915;. Y

8, which latter are formed in the bolts 4,

the pins 7 extending inward from the tubular extensions 3, see Fig. 2. The. bolts 4 are embraced by coil springs 9, interposed between peripheral shoulders 10, on said bolts, and a stationary band 11 Within the oase 1.

r,'lh-e bolts' 4 have oppositely-disposed perlpheral notches 12, to receive the edges of the narrow portions 13 of key-hole slots 13a, arranged in a movable band 14.

'15, 16,' 17 and 18 designate tubular extensions projecting radially from the .case 1 and housing push-buttons 19, 20, 21, and 22, respectively, reciprocably mounted in said tubular extensions and the stationary band 11. Movement of the push-buttons is limited by pins 23, 24, 25 and 26, projecting from the tubular extensions 15, 16, 17 and 18, into grooves 27, 28, 29 and 30, extending longitudinallv ofi-the push-buttons 19, 20, 21 and 22, respectively. This arrangement also prevents the push-buttons 19 to 21, inclusive,.from rotating and getting certain notches therein out of lproper relation ,with key-hole slots, hereinafter referred to, ar#

ranged in the movable band 14. It valso prevents the push-button 22 from rotating but as said push-button is only a dummy and does not control the locking or unlocklng 'peripheral notches 33, which communicate with the two oppositely-disposed flattened sides 34 of the vlower portion of said pushbutton. The push-button 21 has two oppooperations, it is immaterial whether it ro f s itely-disposed peripheral notches 35. The dummy push-button 22 has no notches and is only intended to increase the diculty of solving the combination by 'a person not familiar with said combination. r1`he lower terminal of the push-button 19, extends through the circular portion 36 of a keyhole slot 37, iii the movable band 14. Said key-hole slot 37 has a reduced portion 39 to receive the notches 32 -on the push-button 19. rllhe iiattened sides 34 of the pushbutton 20, extend through the wide portion 40 of a key-hole slot 41 yin the movable band 14, said key-hole slot 41 having a reduced portion 42 to receive the notched portions 33 of said push-button 20. The lower end of the push-button 21, extends through the wide portion 43 of a key-hole slot 44 in the movable band 14, said key-hole slot 44 having a reducedportion 45 to receive 'the notched portions 35 of the push-button 21.

46 designates a spring to force the band 14 to unlockedposition. One end of said spring bears against alug 47, iixed to the band 14, and the opposite end of said spring 46 bearsagainst one end of a slot 48 in the inner `wall of the case 1. s v

49 designates a handle extending radially from theband 14 through slots 50 and 51 Ain the stationary band 11 and the outer wallv of the case 1, respectively, to move the band 14 to locked position.

52, 53,-54 andy 55 designateI coil springs tending to force the push-buttons19, 20, 21 and 22, respectively, outward. Said springs are interposed between the stationary band '59 onthe push-buttons 19, 20, 21 and 22, respectively.

11 and peripheral shoulders 56, 57, A58 and 60 designates an annularcap for closing the upper portionof the 4case lafter the internal parts of the lock have been properl assembled in said case.

In the drawings the partsare shown in locked position on Figs. 2, 3, 7 and 8.v To `adjust theparts to unlocked position, the

i push-button 19 is depressed to force its lower end out'l of the circular portion 36 and bring its notches 31 in linewith the reduced portion 38 of the vkey-hole slot 37. The band` 14 is then automatically advanced one step bythe spring 46 to the left, or clockwise, until the rear end of the reduced portion 38 of the slot-37, contacts the'l adjacent side of thel push-button 19, which is held depressed by the sides of the reduced portion 38 entering the notches 31. The pushbuttons 19 and 20 are thenv simultaneously depressed to bring the notches 32 in line with the narrow portion 39 of the slot 37, and the notches 33 in line with the reduced ortion42 of the slot 41, when the band 14 1s automatically adjusted another step to the left bythe spring `46. 4'Ihe push-button 21 is then depressed to bring its notches 35 in 65 alinement with the reduced portion 44 of tions of the slots 13-i into register with the bolts 4 which are immediately retracted from the openings 5 in the steering-rod A by the coil springs 9. The steering-rod A is then free to rotate.

1n order to lock the steering-rod A, it is only necessary to rotate the same until its openings 5 are in line with the bolts 4, and then move the band 14 to the right or counter-clockwise through the intermediacy of the handle 49, to successively release the push-buttons 22, 20 and 21. As `the pushbuttons are released, they are automatically pushed outward to lock the band 14, by their springs, causing said band 14 in turn to lock the bolts 4, which have been reviously forced in and held by hand against the action of their springs .10, to bring their respective notches 12 in alinement' with the narrow portions 13 of the slots 13a.

From the foregoing description, 'it is apparent that Ihave produced a reliable comof the notches and key-hole slots can be changed to obtain dierent combinations. Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In' combination with' a rotatable member and a fixed sleeve surrounding the same,

a case embracing said sleeve,` a bolt carried by said case and adapted to secure'the rotatable memberv from rotation, a movable rlng to lock said bolt in engagement with the rotatable member and provided with .a

key-hole slot, and a push-button to lock the movable ring and adapted to in turn be locked by the edge of the key-hole slot.

2. In combination with a rotatable member and a fixed sleeve surrounding the same, a case embracing said sleeve, bolts carried by said case and adapted to secure the rotatable member from rotation, a fmovable ring toI lock said bolts in engagement with the rotatable member and provided with a plurality of irregular shaped slots, a spring tending to move said ring to unlocked position, and push-buttons having diierent notched portions to coact with the edges of the respective irregular shaped slots to lock the movable ring.

3. In combination with a rotatable member and a ixed sleeve surrounding the same, l

lar shaped slot, ,and a spring to control the movement of said push-button in one direc-y 10 tion.

ln testimony whereof l aliX my signature,

1n the presence of two Witnesses.l

ROY E. CUYNER.

Witnesses W. B. HILL, A. H. CANFmLD. 

